Category: Reviews of Products & Places

The holiday season is in full swing and we’re rushing around trying to figure out that “perfect” gift for our loved ones, which if you ask me can be quite tough these days. Since having a little one I am truly focusing on experiences that we can have together. Either by making memories that will last a lifetime, or something that I know will benefit my little guy throughout his life. If I think back to my own childhood I honestly don’t remember too many “materalistic” things I received, but I DO remember many experiences we had as a family! I’m not saying that buying a materalistic gift is frowned upon, but I do think mixing it up every now and then by giving an “activity” as a gift is something that will definitely bring a new vibe into your family’s life!

Throughout the year budgeting can get tight and I totally understand “not having the money” at the moment to sign up for extra curricular activities for your kiddos. So, maybe this year it’s time to focus on the gifts being those activities that you always wanted your kiddos to participate in…like swim lessons at Goldfish Swim School (And maybe even a pass to the zoo! That’s something my husband and I are talking about too, haha!)

(This is a sponsored post, but all opinions stated are my own.)

The “Buzz” at Goldfish Swim School

There have been many fun activities and great deals going on at Goldfish Swim School during the holiday season! Recently we participated in a “Mommy & Me Mini Class Play Date” with some friends, which was so much fun! We were able to get another swim lesson in during the week along with yummy brunch food that they provided (Panera bagels & Chick-Fil-A nuggets for the WIN!) The little ones had a blast and it was fun to catch up with some amazing mamas!

What’s Happening Now?

Holiday Gift Package– Make sure to check out the details on the holiday gift package that’s going on now! If you’re thinking about signing up your kiddo for swim lessons, this is a great way to SAVE money! You can find more details by clicking the link >>here<<.

Jump Start Clinics– this is a month’s worth of lessons condensed into 1 week for students in the Junior 1 to Pro 2 levels. The swimmers will swim for 30 minutes for 4 days straight with the SAME teacher every time. Why join a clinic? It’s a great option for getting your swimmer a jump-start on the “learn-to-swim” process, which means they’ll either brush up on their swim skills…OR advance their swim skills to the next level

Goldfish is offering 2 weeks of clinics: (December 26-29 OR January 2-5)

Time Slots: 9am-12pm

A fellow parent’s words about their swim experience!

Little Johnny and I have been participating in swim lessons for about 5 months now and we have met some amazing mamas! Here’s what a fellow Goldfish member has to say about her experience at Goldfish Swim School with her adorable little guy!

What do you love about Goldfish?

“I love that they give your child the right amount of encouragement. I also like that they give each child the individualized attention and direction each one needs instead of cookie cutter approach to all kids, since all kids are different.”

What have you found to be most beneficial from attending classes each week?

“You always have the same instructors so your child can build a relationship and trust with that person so they are comfortable in the water with them.”

-Missy Frump

That’s a Wrap! 😉

So overall there is so much to offer! And while yes, it may be just a swim school, but what Goldfish offers is an overall family friendly experience with so many amazing opportunities and events to be involved in!

Oink…Neigh…Moo….Did you know we have one of the most amazing petting farms within the Central Florida area? Well, it’s true! On a “fall like day” in Florida (which we all know is rare), we spent it outside exploring Green Meadows Petting Farm. It was our first experience with our little ones in enjoying a “hands-on” adventure while learning and interacting with so many animals…AND we can’t forget about the amazing train ride and tractor ride! Choo Choo…

(This is a sponsored post, all my opinions stated are my own.)

When you enter into the farm you are blown away by how big it is and the many activities that are offered! We packed our lunches and spent a full day at the farm! Our little ones loved every minute of it! Their little eyes lit up by all the amazing activities they encountered. So, are you thinking a family day here would be fun for you as well? Well…Guess what?! I have the privilege to giveaway 2 FREE adult tickets! I’ll help plan your visit with the details and then you can enter the GIVEAWAY located at the bottom of the page! Let’s get started…

(P.S.-If you have been before then you know how much fun it is, so make sure to scroll to the bottom and enter in the GIVEWAY for 2 FREE adult tickets!)

Location, Hours, & Rates

LOCATION

1368 South Poinciana Blvd.
Kissimmee, FL 34746

Hours

9:30am–4:00pm

*last tour starts
at 2:30pm

The admission includes a 2 1/2 hour guided tour of the farm led by a friendly staff member!

Rates

General Admission
(Age 13—Adult)
$23

Florida Resident
$21

Age 3—12
$20

Senior (62+) andMilitary
$19

Age 2
$5

If you want more information on these details, then click here to visit their website.

A Brief History

Did you know that Green Meadows Petting Farm has more than 1 location? You can find it in other states as well! My home state is Wisconsin, and guess what? The original farm originated back in 1964 in Waterford, WI!

What’s included in the guided tour?

When you enter onto the farm you’re greeted by the welcoming staff along with a cute General Store and fun fall displays, which is a perfect opportunity to take those fall photos if you haven’t done so already. In this post I’m relating it to the fall season, but the farm is most definitely open all year long!

On the guided tour the tour guide takes you through the farm on all kinds of learning adventures about their animals! So many opportunities to interactive with the farm animals! This is a place that definitely explores many of our senses, which is a perfect learning environment for all children (and adults)!

*This is all included with the price of your admission ticket, no added costs for the train rides, tractor rides, or pony rides.

Extras

Green Meadows also offers fun playground experiences for children! There are playgrounds, slides, and fun climbing adventures throughout the whole farm! After the guided tour it was a perfect opportunity for our little ones to let our their energy and have a blast playing together!

Recommendations

After experiencing a day on the farm here is some feedback I gathered to make your trip even better!

Plan on spending a full day on the farm! I would recommend getting there earlier in the day so you can experience everything they have to offer!

Pack a lunch! While they do have a General Store, mostly the food items are snacks.

If you have little ones either bring a stroller or you can purchase a wagon for $5. (which was a big hit with our little ones) The farm is huge and their little feet may need a break every now and then.

Wear comfortable shoes and clothing!

When will you be visiting the farm?

It truly is a fun filled day that will leave you with wonderful family memories!

Click the link below to enter the GIVEAWAY for 2 FREE adult tickets to Green Meadows Farm in Kissimmee, FL!

When you think of swim lessons (especially in Florida) your mind immediately goes to summer! Well, that season is in the past and we’re moving onto the shorter days, less traveling, and hopefully a little cooler weather. Although, at Goldfish Swim School swim season is all year long!

We’ve been swimming away with Goldfish Swim School for a few months now and as a parent I can see so many benefits from the long term sessions. Most swim lessons are offered for a short span of time, unlike Goldfish Swim School where their season runs all year round! Little Johnny has developed a great rapport with the instructors and classmates! It’s part of his weekly activities, which we all know kids thrive on consistency and routine!

(This is a sponsored post, but as always all my opinions stated are my own.)

You know that saying where “if you don’t use it, you’ll lose it”. Well, that definitely applies to younger children in their skill sets. As a family we love the opportunity of having a long term experience with swim lessons, especially since we don’t have a pool at home. The opportunity for Little Johnny to practice his newly learned swim skills every week has benefited him with retaining more and enabling him to learn in well paced out sessions.

The Benefits of Long Term Learning

“When developing a new skill, it’s quick to fade when our level of performance is not used in a valuable way.”

Just like with cramming to study for tests in school, if we don’t consistently use the newly developed skills over a period of time (and in a consistent manner), it won’t stick with us throughout our lives. This type of learning is called surface learning, which can easily be erased. In relation to swimming, the level of performance is a huge factor in weather or not the the skill sets will decrease over a period of time. There are many things that a new swimmer learns, which focusing on mastering just a few over a span of time benefits children by helping them to retain the skills/information within their long term memory.

This is why we love the idea of Goldfish Swim School providing us with a year round experience with swim lessons! Their level of performance within the lessons increases children’s chances of developing a long lasting experience that they can use throughout their life. I created a video to give you a closer look at the setup of our swim lessons!

Little Johnny is still in mini 2 lessons, but he has definitely become quite the kicker lately. He’s also getting better at floating on his back along with going under water, climbing out of the pool, and holding onto the edge with very little support.

We also love the flexibility they offer rather than being “locked in” to a certain time frame. Goldfish Swim School works around your busy schedule and enables a perfect solution to increase your child’s swim skills. It’s called their unique Perpetual Lessons model! Here’s a great article explaining a little bit more about this method…

Every week we continue to look forward to our swim days and each time I am seeing improvements! It puts a bright spot in our weekly routine! If you live within the Orlando area, I highly recommend signing your child up! You can follow the link below for more information.

We’re still swimming away at Goldfish Swim School and loving every minute of it! Little Johnny has been learning so much (and so have my husband and I!) 😉 We have been attending every Thursday for the past 2 months and it has adapted into our weekly routine very nicely! We even attended their Grand Opening event, which we really enjoyed our “family swim time” along with meeting the famous “Bubbles”!

So far Little Johnny is learning to:

become comfortable in the water

kicking with barbell (unassisted)

pulling paddle swim with face in (unassisted)

conditioning with water in face

breath control in underwater dip (5 seconds with assistance)

superman glide (unassisted)

wall hold (assisted)

crab walk (assisted)

climb out of water (assisted)

underwater jump and turn back to wall (assisted)

underwater dip and rollover, front to back (assisted)

relaxed in back float position (assisted)

(This is a sponsored post, but as always my opinions are my own.)

Mostly right now Little Johnny is learning about safetyskills, especially how to easily get out of the water. (elbow, elbow, tummy, knee, knee) He is still in the Mini 2 lessons and it has been so nice to be able to attend as a family. My husband and I switch off with participating with Little Johnny in the pool. I look forward to our Thursday morning swim classes! Every time we walk into the building we arealways greeted with smiles and a very warm welcoming! They even know Little Johnny by name and immediately interact with him, which is so comforting as parents!

Let’s “dive into” our 5 Reasons we LOVE

Goldfish Swim School!

They are always concerned about safety 1st! (especially with the infant/toddler classes)

Friendly Environment– ALWAYS greeted with smiles

Swim Instructors are very supportive– If you’re child seems to be struggling with a specific skill they instructors are right there to provide assistance and tools in order for them to advance in that area

We LOVE the songs that are incorporated– It’s a fun environment when we are learning skills to the tune of children’s songs.

They teach the parents too! – Every lesson my husband and I learn something new we can incorporate with Little Johnny when he is in contact with water. Also, for older kids at the end of each lesson they bring the parents in and have the kids show them what skills were taught! I love the collaboration involved with all the adults!

A snippet about our most recent experience…

Last swim class Little Johnny had a hard time floating on his back. The swim instructors stepped right in and adapted to the situation with providing “tools” to help make him more comfortable. They gave him a mirror that we held up so he could see himself floating, which seemed to help. The instructor also took over to see if Johnny would do better with them. It was so comforting as a parent to see the support offered by the instructors.

My husband and I made a short video to document Little Johnny’s first experience with swim lessons, and we wanted to take this opportunity to share it with you!

Having FUN while learning to swim!

If you’re like me and enjoy kids activities that have “themes” to them, you’ll really like the fact that Goldfish Swim School has monthly celebrations that they incorporate into the lessons along with the kiddos getting a “prize” for the month.

Just this past month the theme was “Celebrate Animals” and all the swimmers received a float toy which was the Goldfish Swim School mascot, “Bubbles”. Little Johnny loved it and actually started saying “bubbles” for the first time!

The BIG question…Is it really worth the money?

We all know that as parents we have to closely watch where we spend our money related to lessons or kids activities, especially since there are so many out there! I mean we work hard for it, right? So, I’m sure we can all agree that we want validation that the money we are spending is actually going to benefit our children. Are you still unsure about the cost, and wondering if it’s “really worth spending the money for swim lessons?” Well, I honestly believe that this is an investment in your child’s future. They will truly “thank you” for providing them with this type of learning opportunity where they won’t grow up afraid of water, and as they get older they will have more confidence in knowing that they can swim. Below you will find a short post I found helpful that provides more details about the Top 5 Reasons Goldfish Swim School is worth the money.

We enjoy our experiences at Goldfish Swim School and would lovefor others to join us! Remember they specialize in infant & children’s swim lessons. If you want more information you can visit my two previous posts listed below!

Well, we survived our first swim lesson! As a parent you hear stories where children have such a bad experience, but this was completely the opposite at Goldfish Swim School! We left with smiles and had such an enjoyable visit! Most of all, Little Johnny was comfortable in the water! {This post is sponsored. As always, all opinions expressed are my own.}

The moment we walked in, we were immediately greeted by employees with a fabulous welcome! As we checked in we received a welcome bag, and a personal tour of the building. As a parent I always look for the small touches and amenities that any business offers (especially the changing room), which helps to create a friendly and welcoming environment for me. Not only does Goldfish Swim School offer an oasis environment, but they provide personal touches such as extra diapers and wipes if needed, and many changing rooms. They also have open showers with baby soap readily available and a drying station for your swimsuits so you’re not leaving with soaking wet suits! Did I mention it’s a “shiver free” environment? It’s quite honestly the ultimate experience for a swim school!

Our 1st Swim Lesson Experience

Now, let’s get into the details of the actuallesson…

As Little Johnny and I walked inside of the pool area we were greeted by two swim instructors already in the pool with an Elmo and Goldfish puppet (what child doesn’t like puppets, AND Elmo! Such a smart idea on their end!) This was a wonderful way to get warmed up and comfortable with the water! Little Johnny and I stepped into the pool with big smiles! Usually when you step into the water it takes a while to get use to it, and quite honestly that’s the worst part for little ones (and me!), but NOT at Goldfish Swim School! They offer a “shiver free” environment, even when you step out of the water! As a parent I’m very thankful for this amenity because it’s one less thing I have to worry about with my little one shivering or refusing to get in the water because it’s “cold”. I had no problem with Little Johnny wanting to get into the water.

Little Johnny and I participated in the mini 2 session (you canclick hereto check out the pricing and details). We were in a group setting and the instructors had smiles on the whole time, they were also so calm and engaging with the children. Here’s the best part throughout the whole lesson…Are you ready?! Each learned swim skill was taught to the tune of a familiar children’s song! We started with a hello/welcome song and throughout the lesson other songs were introduced. Think about when your child hears a familiar tune, they usually get excited or feel more “at ease” in an unfamiliar environment! This is a genius idea and it also helped me as a parent to understand the skills taught and to hopefully remember them. Researchers do say learning with songs incorporates a more suitable learning environment! At one point in the lesson we were singing “twinkle twinkle little star” when we were practicing the back float and a little girl was just singing her heart out to the familiar tune! It was too cute!

Highlights from the lesson:

songs and puppets were incorporated

safety swim skills were taught in a fun environment

shiver free environment

with support we learned to kick and stroke with our arms (Little Johnny was doing the two scooper! haha)

with support we learned to back float

we learned how to hold onto the edge and get out of the water

we learned to walk on a floating device and jump off into the parents arms (Little Johnny’s favorite!)

This was just our first lesson and I would have been happy just to see Little Johnny getting into the pool, but honestly he was able to get so much out of his first lesson because the environment was set up to ease children into it! I can definitely see Little Johnny developing a life-long love of swimming with the help of Goldfish Swim School!

Here’s a picture of Little Johnny in the pool. Now, let me just say the sad look on his face had nothing to do with the actual experience! He was upset with me because I stepped out of the pool to take a picture (currently going through separation anxiety I believe, all part of parenting right!?) Next time I’ll try to bring someone else along to take pictures of Little Johnny actually participating so you can get the whole experience! We loved our swim instructors!

Keeping Parents Educated!

As we were packing up to leave an instructor came around to give us a handout to take home that states the end goals of the sessions for both the parents and little ones. I love this feature! It’s so important for parents to stay educated and know how we can incorporate the skills learned at home! It also helped me to understand the layout of the sessions and what Little Johnny needs to accomplish in order to move onto the next swim level.

My biggest take away from our first swim lesson was “preparing your child to go underwater”. It’s a very simple technique and is highly encouraged anytime little ones come into contact with water. It’s simply conditioning your child to go underwater. I’ll be practicing this at home during bath time with Little Johnny since we don’t have a pool.

Here’s what I learned…

Before you pour a cup of water over you child’s head use the verbal cue: “NAME, Ready, Go.” For example with my little one I would say… Johnny, ready, go! This helps to hopefully prevent them from gulping water (it’s going to take lots of practice for Little Johnny though, he’s a gulper!)

In this video below another family shares how much they’re loving Goldfish Swim School too!

What’s all the “hype” about little ones taking swim lessons at a young age?

I’m specifically going to target this questions towards living in Florida, but quite honestly this refers to anywhere! We live in a state where “water” is easily accessible all year long. When starting at a young age with learning to enjoy water and develop proper safety skills, it reduces the chances of developing “a fear of water”. When children are comfortable with water, then they are prepared to prevent the unimaginable..drowning. We all know water is everywhere, so teaching children how to be safe in water lowers the risk of accidents. Plus, the goal isn’t for children to grow up “fearing” water, but to enjoy the fun activities it presents and learn how to be safe in it.

We enjoyed our experience so much at Goldfish Swim School and can’t wait to continue throughout the next few months. I’m excited to take you on this journey and share with you how much Little Johnny is learning!

Visit my previous post where I share more details about what Goldfish Swim School offers.

Summer is officially just around the corner and soon we’ll hear the sounds of ‘splish splash’ from children as they start to say their “goodbyes” for the school year. We’ll see children transition out of their classrooms and into swimming pools, outdoor play, theme parks, and other fun summer activities.

The question is…are your children swim ready?

When you think about summer time, what’s something that first pops into your mind? For me, it’s definitely anything with water…which leads me to some exciting news about Goldfish Swim School opening in Winter Park, FL!

{This post is sponsored. As always, all opinions expressed are my own.}

As a parent, I am so very excited about this opportunity for my little one. Getting your children comfortable in water and confident in their swim skills is something that’s a priority for many parents, especially when you live in Florida! I’ve been waiting for a local swim school like this to open. We don’t have a swim pool at home, so this is a perfect opportunity for Little Johnny to become exposed to water safety skills. I love that the facility is indoors, so we’re out of the “hot Florida sun”.

The Facts

Goldfish Swim School is a franchise and has over 65 locations open or in development around the country. They provide swim lessons and water safety instruction to infants and children ages 4 months- 12 years. Classes are offered by professional, trained and certified instructors in a safe, child-friendly and fun environment.

The owners of this Winter Park location are also a husband and wife team (Jon and Gina Thomas) and they have two younger children. They are relocating from Columbus, OH to the Winter Park area to startup the first Goldfish Swim School in Florida! As a parent, it’s always intriguing to hear the back story and learn that they’re a family orientated business!

My Favorite Features

When there’s something new coming within the Orlando area I always love to do my research and scope out my favorite features of the newly established business. Here’s what I’m excited about…

Air conditioned viewing gallery for parents to relax, work, read, socialize (digitally and personally) and watch their kids swim

An indoor swimming pool heated to a tropical 90 degrees year-round

Year-round swim instruction for children 4 months to 12 years (Click Herefor a list of classes)

I’m excited to take you on our journey of Little Johnny’s first swim classes! He’ll participate in swim lessons for a few months and I’ll continue to update you on his progress with Goldfish Swim School. He’ll be participating in the class listed below.

Are you an Etsy shopper? Do you love all things Etsy? Do you love to be organized? Well, I have the perfect item for you to check out and have hanging in your own home! Kiera Deara Designs creates beautiful custom chalkboards. I just received my own personalized perpetual chalkboard calendar, and I am so pleased with it!

One of the hardest things to accomplish as a mom is being organized! There are so many different appointments and activities that kids are involved in, it’s just hard to keep track of it all. That’s where Kiera Deara Designs comes to your rescue! Moms and their schedules are so important, so why not flaunt it by having a custom chalkboard calendar hanging in your home. Trust me, everyone will comment on how appealing it is (even my husband said something)!

I use to have just a regular hanging paper calendar, but sometimes I forgot to check. Also, it just wasn’t pleasing to the eye with my home decor. This chalkboard is more than just a calendar it’s a beautiful home decor item that you can personalize to your own style and needs. Since having my chalkboard calendar I actually look forward to writing our family’s schedule on it. It’s so captivating that it’s hard to forget checking the calendar each day! I haven’t missed a day yet!

{Arrival of Calendar}

I received a personal update about when the calendar was completed and when it was being shipped. It came in a timely manner and the package was very secure so that no damage would occur. Along with the calendar came very well written instructions on how to care for the chalkboard. It was a very exciting day for me when this calendar arrived!

One of my favorite parts of the calendar is the “Reminders” section. I use this as my daily to do list. It helps me to keep track of what I need to accomplish for the day. Plus, I just love writing with chalk everyday!

Hurry fast! She’s offering a deal of 10% OFF by using the code: LIFESGIFTS. It expires by December 31st! Christmas gifts anyone???

Happy Shopping!

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